Overview

"Interactions between Tsunamis and Underwater Geological Processes"

A workshop sponsored by WHOI's Deep Ocean Exploration Institute and Coastal Ocean InstituteOctober 30-31, 2006
Tsunamis are among the most
destructive natural hazards. The complex nature of tsunamis was vividly
illustrated by the failure of warning the deadly Dec. 26, 2004 tsunami in the Indian
Ocean and a false alarm following
the March
28, 2005 earthquake in the same
region. In order to more accurately forecast future tsunamis and to mitigate
their impacts on coastal regions, the scientific community must significantly
improve our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of how tsunamis are
triggered by underwater earthquakes, submarine landslides, volcanic eruptions,
and other geological processes. This workshop will specifically discuss
existing knowledge and future research directions in two important research
areas:

1) Processes of seafloor motion that generate tsunami
waves, and

2) Dissipation and run-up processes in the coastal zone.

The Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution has strong physical oceanography and marine geology
and geophysics departments. This workshop will promote the international, US,
and WHOI research communities to accelerate research on the above topics.

The workshop includes
invited talks, posters, and discussion sessions. It is open to US and
international researchers, engineers, tsunami program managers, and graduate
students. Participants are requested to
register online.

The workshop will be held
on Monday, Oct. 30, and Tuesday morning, Oct. 31, 2006 in Clark Laboratory Conference Room 507 on the Quissett
Campus of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Please contact Christina Cueller (ccuellar@whoi.edu) for
further information.